Better Left Hidden
by JediRunnerGirl
Summary: Ahsoka and Anakin are sent on an unsettling mission to the Outer Rim. Suddenly, a mysterious disappearance sends the mission into chaos, leading events into a downward spiral, and along the way, secrets are discovered that were maybe better left hidden.
1. Prologue

Better Left Hidden

Prologue

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It was dark in the Jedi Archives. The halls glowed a faint luminous blue in their everlasting twinkling twilight. How much learning was here? How much knowledge and secrets for those who knew how to gain access to them? Silence and night permeated the ancient learning place, and not a soul disturbed the quiet. Not a soul, except one that is.

A young Jedi Padawan was leaning intently over a desk, her dreary fingers hovering over a databank terminal. Her eyes drooped with tiredness as she scanned the files and information that flitted across the screen as she tapped at the keyboard. The Padawan lifted a dainty hand to her mouth to cover a yawn. She was tired. Who at the Jedi Temple wasn't, she thought, with the wretched war raging on all fronts with no definable end in sight. She should be in bed in her quarters, getting what precious sleep she could, but no. She was here, searching through the archives

And what was she even doing here? It was nothing, nothing that should have caused this late night behavior. What was she going off of? A snippet of an overheard conversation? A few measly questions that didn't quite add up? It was nothing, ridiculous suspicions and theories that wouldn't stand before her Master's scrutiny of why she wasn't in their quarters, resting up for their next mission. More than ridiculous, it was plain disturbing. It couldn't be possible, there was no way. Just something her exhausted, sleep-deprived, suspicious mind had spun up. There was no real factual basis. Even the Force couldn't give her as much as a whisper to confirm her suspicions. She had felt absolutely nothing from it on this matter. Nothing. It was silly. Nothing that she need concern herself with. She had more important ways to spend her time. There was nothing here. There was nothing hidden to find.

She had almost resigned herself to going back to her rooms and sleeping for what was left of the night when she froze. Her fingers stilled their motion and her once weary eyes snapped wide open. This wasn't right. What was that doing there? And with sudden fervor, her fingers picked up in their intensity. She sped through files, her eyes zipping from side to side, trying to take it all in. And at once, the picture became clearer. She was drawing the lines that had been to foggy to see before. Yes, why hadn't she noticed it sooner? Why hadn't anyone noticed it sooner?

She leapt up from her seat. Never mind the hour of night, the Jedi Council had to be informed of this at once. They simply had to be told. There was no time to waste. So engrossed was she in her task as she strode for the door, that she didn't sense the cloaked, hooded figure as it drew up behind her. She wasn't even aware of another presence until hands wrapped around her mouth, muffling her sudden scream. And then her vision went black.

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**A/N: Hello readers, this is an idea that I recently came up with and decided to try and make a story out of. I hope you like what I have so far. While updates will probably be slow in coming, I will finish this story. I'll try to make future chapters longer, but, hey, this was the prologue after all. It wasn't supposed to be that long, right? :) Well, anyways, please do review. I promise I'll appropriately freak when I get a handful of reviews. It's my first story, please do be gentle.**

**~JediRunnerGirl  
**


	2. Morning

Better Left Hidden

Chapter 1: Morning

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Ahsoka rose from her bed with a yawn. The sun shone brightly through the windows, making little motes of dust dance in its cheerful rays. The young Padawan slowly blinked the sleep from her eyes. It was rare to have time to just relax in the Jedi Temple, so often were she and her Master sent on missions to fight on the front lines of the war that she relished any time to herself that she had. Well, it really wasn't time all to herself. There was almost always something to be done at the temple, whether it was sparring or studying or something else, a moment of peace was rare. But seeing as she and her Master had just returned from a rather difficult mission in the Mid Rim, the perky Padawan wasn't very inclined to dwell on the negatives, but that task grew harder with each passing day. People were fighting and dying, and nothing seemed sure anymore, but if she wasn't around to cheer the troops, who would?

Casting the dark thoughts from her mind, Ahsoka softly padded from her room. As she entered the main living quarters, she cast a lazy glance around the room. Machine parts and tools were strewn around the room in a disorganized mess, giving testament to who she shared her rooms with. Skyguy was always tinkering with something or other, well, when he was actually in their rooms that was. A cursory search with the Force revealed that said-Master was indeed in their shared living quarters. Ahsoka nonchalantly flicked a head-tail off of her shoulder, behind her head. What a rarity.

When they were back at the Jedi Temple from missions, he always went _somewhere_. "Out exploring Coruscant" her boot, she didn't know exactly what he was up to, but she knew it wasn't that. However, since he always returned cheered up and less gloomy, she wasn't going to begrudge him his happiness. Force knows, they need all the happiness they can get.

No sooner than the thought had crossed her mind than her Master emerged from his quarters.

"Morning, Snips."

"Morning, Skyguy. So, you actually spent the night here. What? Did your hot date cancel on you?" Ahsoka jokingly replied with a wry smile.

"Haha, very funny, _Padawan_," Anakin shot back, scratching his head semi-nervously, Ahsoka noticed. "But I thought you would have been happy to see me here, Snips, after all, I am your biggest role model." Anakin teasingly smiled.

"Heh, as if," Ahsoka scoffed, barely able to suppress a smile. "Actually since you've been away so often, I just haven't had anyone to look up to. It's just _so _distressing, so Master Kenobi has filled your spot as my role model." At this point the young Togruta just couldn't hold in her grin any longer, and it spread wide across her face.

"Ow, that hurts, Snips." Anakin clutched a hand to his heart in mock pain. "I haven't gone anywhere when we've been on missions. Well, I just suppose that means that Obi-Wan will have to take over your training from now on, but, if that's what you want…" Anakin trailed off menacingly. He sauntered over to the couch and sat down with a confident smile plastered on his face.

Long gone were the days when Ahsoka feared that her Master would refuse her as his Padawan and return her to the Jedi Temple, but the thought of Master Kenobi as her Master… She shuddered at the thought. It wasn't that she wasn't fond of the elder Jedi, it was impossible not to be. Skyguy would deny it at any chance he got, but he looked up to the older man as a brother. Seeing as Ahsoka thought of her Master as her older brother, that made Master Kenobi family by extension. However, that didn't mean that she wanted to have to sit through one of his lectures on the value of negotiating versus fighting. The Jedi Council had definitely done right when they made Skyguy her Master. She just couldn't imagine it any other way.

"Alright, Skyguy, you got me," Ahsoka teased, waving her hands in the air in an over-exaggerated display of defeat as she followed him towards the sofa. "You know no matter how stubborn, annoying, reckless, overconfident, bossy-"

"Now hold it right there, Snips. You should be speaking to your Master with more respect," Anakin said with a smug grin. "Besides you're not exactly perfect either, and I'm none of those things." He put his feet up on the table in front of the couch.

"Yeah. Right. And I'm a Kowakian monkey-lizard," Ahsoka jabbed with a chuckle.

"Of course you are, Snips. I can just see the resemblance." Anakin held his hands up to form a frame around her face.

"Yeah," was Ahsoka's dry reply.

Anakin started chuckling. "Don't worry, I'm sure you'll grow out of your monkey-lizard looks."

"Says the man who looks like a wampa," Ahsoka chortled.

"Hey." Anakin's hand flew to his hair, frantically trying to smooth the wampa-like mess.

Ahsoka laughed. "I'll see you later, Skyguy. I heard Master Unduli and Barriss got back from a mission yesterday, and I want to see if I can find her."

"Go on, Snips, you'll do what you want whether or not I give you permission to." Anakin wryly grinned at his now vanishing Padawan. He knew how close she was to Barriss, and it was important that she have friends. He himself hadn't had very many friends among his peers when he was Obi-Wan's Padawan, and it was nice to see Ahsoka and Barriss together. It really was quite amazing how the two very different girls could form such a strong bond of friendship. Anakin smiled to himself once more and ventured out into the spacious hallway to see if he could find himself some breakfast in a certain Senator's apartment.

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Ahsoka stepped out of the turbolift as the doors opened. After failing to find Barriss in a timely manner, her stomach had called her to a quick meal at the Mess Hall. Now she strode down the tall-pillared corridor, the bright sunlight shining in through the high windows. Outside the boundaries of the temple, speeders rushed to and fro in the morning traffic as citizens of Coruscant scurried to where they needed to be. The young Padawan reached out her senses in the Force, searching for the familiar presence of her Mirialan best friend.

"Hey there, youngling."

Ahsoka spun around to see Wylhen Terr, a young Jedi Knight, taking long graceful strides toward her. He had silky, chin-length black hair and dark brown eyes. Many of the girls at the Jedi Temple swooned over him. They thought he was handsome. Ahsoka thought he was repulsive. Wylhen, or "Wyl" as he was often called, was a pompous, overconfident, arrogant jerk, who often leaned toward the theatrical. She remembered from her time as a youngling, overhearing the Masters discussing how they feared that he would never be chosen as a Padawan. He was too hotheaded, too rash, and too un-Jedi like they said. Eventually Jedi Knight Tral had taken him on as a Padawan. Tral claimed that the boy had much potential and showed great dedication to becoming a Jedi, he only needed the opportunity. Wyl had passed the Trials of Knighthood quite recently, and enjoyed acting like he was better than everyone and bossing people around when his Padawan braid was not yet two months gone.

Ahsoka turned around reluctantly. Her Master wouldn't like it if she started a fight not yet one day back at the Jedi Temple. "Wylhen," Ahsoka acknowledged coolly, her head held a bit higher than usual in the air.

"What are you up to, _youngling_?" Wylhen sneered. "Shouldn't you be, oh I don't know, chasing after your oh-so-precious _Chosen One_?"

The Togruta Padawan bit her lip. She could've sworn that he was deliberately goading her. Master Tral always spoke highly of Wylhen's dedication to the Jedi and to the Jedi Code, but now she wasn't so sure. "Well, _Wyl_, you see, I decided to get breakfast a bit earlier this morning. My Master decided to catch up later. Have you seen Barriss around? I've been looking for her, but I haven't been able to find her," Ahsoka could barely keep a civil tone of voice as she stiffly replied.

"Barriss? How would you expect _me_ to know of the whereabouts of such an insignificant _youngling_?" Wylhen replied scathingly, a dark glint in his eyes.

He must not have liked me calling him Wyl, Ahsoka thought. After all, she was just a _Padawan_. "Well, I appreciate the chat, goodbye now." Ahsoka marched away, her back ramrod straight. He and his pompous attitude made her want to do some very un-Jedi like things, and giving in to her reckless nature wouldn't at all be wise. As much as she wanted to go back there and slap the sneer off of Wylhen's face, it wouldn't do to disappoint Skyguy and, more importantly, be left behind at the Temple on guard duty in the Jedi Archives while Skyguy went off on some dangerous mission without her to watch his back. Quite frankly, she didn't know how he had gotten along without her. A small smile graced Ahsoka's features as she thought about her impulsive Master. Her musings were interrupted by the blinking of the comlink that she carried with her on her belt. She answered the transmission, recognizing the incoming signal as that of her Master.

"What do you need, Skyguy?" Ahsoka said, letting a smile break out across her face as the small blue form of her Master appeared in the palm of her hand.

"The Jedi Council has requested our presence," Anakin said solemnly.

"Another assignment? Already? We haven't even been back for a full day!" Ahsoka exclaimed, a look of disbelief on her face.

"I know, Snips, I was hoping for more time too," Anakin replied. Ahsoka noticed that Skyguy had a bitter expression on his face. "But this war requires us all to make sacrifices. Look at it this way, the sooner we get out there, the sooner we can bring this war to an end." Anakin's face was set in a determined expression.

Ahsoka sighed, and then smiled. "Let's go scrap some tinnies, Master. I'll meet you outside the Council Chambers."

"I'll see you there."

"Wait, Master, are you in a _speeder _right now?" Ahsoka asked slyly.

The Jedi Knight's image fizzled and disappeared as he ended the transmission.

Ahsoka grinned, immediately cheered. Oh, that Skyguy, what ever would she do without him? She turned around the way she had come and began briskly walking back down the wide corridor. She smiled wider and then began to lightly jog, determined to beat her Master to the Council Chambers.

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**A/N: Hello, again readers. I'm taking advantage of the temporarily low level of homework to update now. This week I have four huge tests, two of them midterms, so don't expect the next update until next weekend at the earliest. I hope you liked the chapter. There wasn't much action, but I wanted to try to get the character interactions down and introduce one of my OCs before I really jumped into the thick of things. By the way, the way I imagined Wylhen's name to be pronounced is "Will-en." I tried to base Wylhen off of a conversation that Obi-Wan and Yoda had in Episode II. Now, onto my reviewers, as of this update:**

**Alijoe13 - I read your story and loved it, so getting a compliment from you is way awesome. Thanks for the advice, I appreciate it. And thanks for your support of the slow updates. :)**

**LoveLasey - Thanks for the compliment and for taking the time to review. :)**

**Evil Tree - Thanks for the compliment. I appreciate the constructive criticism as well. What I was trying to do was put emphasis on her trying to talk herself out of it, but I understand if it came off kind of repetitive. But, like I said thanks for the advice, it makes me a better writer. :)**

**Christina - Thanks, and thanks for reviewing. I do love my cliffhangers. :)**

**You should know that when I saw that I got reviews I danced around my room like a deranged madman singing "I got reviews," over and over again. Those of you who read the story and didn't review, don't you feel so bad knowing that you didn't contribute to my euphoria? Well, review this chapter and make up for it! I won't impose a "I won't update unit I get x amount of reviews" because 1) I hate it when writers do that, and 2) I would never be able to have the will power to hold off updating until I got so many reviews. However, reviews are my motivation, and they do hold some sway on how quickly I update because if I know that there are people out there who like my story and are waiting for an update, it will put more pressure on me to update. So please review.**

**~JediRunnerGirl  
**


	3. Assignment

Better Left Hidden

Chapter 2: Assignment

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And indeed, Ahsoka did beat her Master to the Council Chambers. She'd been pacing just outside the doors for quite some time now. Her steps quick and agitated, she almost considered going in without her Master and collapsing under the barrage of questions that were sure to assault her from the various Council members on the subject of her Master's whereabouts. Yeah, that'd be great.

She cast her restless eyes once more over her surroundings. The area at the top of the spire that housed the Council Chamber was quite spacious and the view was breath-taking, yet the young Padawan couldn't keep her mind off of her agitation with her Master. What was Skyguy _doing_? Slightly growling, Ahsoka reached out in the Force, searching for his presence. She seemed to be doing an awful lot of that lately.

As she fully immersed herself in the Force's almost tangible glowing warmth, she noticed that something wasn't… right. A little pinprick of uneasiness was flickering in the Force. The young Togruta concentrated harder and reached for it. She couldn't quite make out the feelings she felt, they were muffled. Ahsoka scrunched up her brow in concentration.

"Are you just going to stand there all day, Snips?" her Master asked with a grin that was slightly below his usual standards in terms of enthusiasm. Ahsoka was suddenly jolted out of her hasty meditation by her errant Master's sudden appearance.

"You're one to talk," she quickly shot back. "Where were you anyways? I've been waiting for ages." The irritated Padawan shifted her weight and crossed her arms, her boot tapping in exasperation.

"That… doesn't matter." Anakin replied evasively. "Look, we'd better get going, no need to keep the Council waiting any longer."

Ahsoka bit back a sharp retort about how it was _him_ who had kept the Jedi Council waiting in the first place. As they strode toward the tall doors to Council Chamber, Ahsoka focused on releasing her frustration into the Force. She found that she'd been getting better at it lately. Maybe all of that practicing and those annoying meditation sessions of sitting still for long periods of time were finally starting to pay off. What had gotten her so worked up? It was more than just her irritation at her Master's lateness, it had been something more. But now she couldn't seem to get a hold of it, the thought kept evading her…

"Knight Skywalker, Padawan Tano," Master Windu addressed formally, once again bringing Ahsoka out of her reverie. The young Padawan mentally shook her head in an attempt to break free of the trance she seemed to keep falling into.

Finally clearing her mind, Ahsoka took her first real look around the Jedi Council Chambers. The many windows looked out over a glistening Coruscant. The noonday sun transformed the countless rushing speeders and tall buildings into a glinting puzzle of shapes that almost hurt to look at. The sun also shone into the spire, making the long pillars gleam in the light. The floor of the Council Chambers had an elegant design of red and yellow, and the ceiling arced gracefully over the members, who were seated in a circular formation of chairs.

The war was taking its toll on the Jedi, as Ahsoka saw only a handful of Masters were physically in the room. Masters Yoda, Windu, Fisto, and Kenobi were the only Council members present in the flesh. The rest of the Jedi Council were scattered throughout the galaxy and in attendance as holograms.

Master Yoda bowed his head gravely. "Distressing news, the Jedi have received."

"Our intelligence has received word that the Separatists are planning something massive, a weapon on the scale of which the galaxy has yet to see," Master Kenobi continued solemnly, his left leg crossed over his lap, and a hand stroking his beard in thought. "We believe that the Separatists have been working on the plans for this project of theirs for quite some time, possibly since even before the catastrophe on Geonosis."

"Before Geonosis? How could that be? And if so, why didn't we find plans for this weapon at the Battle of Geonosis?" Anakin asked, anger evident in his voice and his erratic hand gestures. "Enough lives were lost that we should have known about -whatever this is- before now."

"Hmm. Much that we don't understand, happening it is. Much more there is to Geonosis, than has been revealed to us," Master Yoda continued, revealing his teeth and flattening his ears back against his head.

"Knight Skywalker, you and Padawan Tano will travel to the Outer Rim world of Ghuians. It there that we believe the plans are being kept," stated the shimmering blue hologram of Master Koon.

The diminutive Master then pointed the gnarled walking stick that he always carried with him at Anakin and Ahsoka. "Travel to Ghuians, you will. Learn the truth of these rumors you must."

Ahsoka stirred slightly from her position behind her Master. "When do we leave?" Ahsoka asked nervously, fingering the tip one of her head-tails.

"You will board the _Resolute_ and depart for the Outer Rim in six standard hours," Master Windu stated in his usual stern tone of voice.

"I know you two haven't had much time to relax back into Temple life after your last mission, but it is vital for the truth behind this intelligence to be discovered," the Kel Dor Master said gently.

"If this mission is so vital, don't you think that we would benefit from having Master Kenobi accompany us?" Anakin asked, a bit of hope in his voice.

"As much as I would love to join you on this assignment, Anakin, my fleet and I depart for the Mid Rim world of Devaron tomorrow. It looks like you and Ahsoka will have to go this one alone," Obi-Wan said regretfully. "However, this might all just turn out to be a wild bantha chase," he added with a chuckle.

"Well, in that case, may the Force be with you," Anakin said with a small smile.

"And with you," was Master Kenobi's serious reply. "You might very well need it."

* * *

Several hours later, after all necessary preparations had been made, Ahsoka found herself in the Jedi Library Archives, researching Ghuians. She had heard of it before, but not in great detail, and she found herself compelled to go to the Archives to study up on the planet. Ahsoka headed for a databank terminal, and as she looked around the Jedi Library, she smiled. Maybe her memories of guard duty weren't the fondest, but it still made her smile to remember.

She sat down at a terminal in the middle of a row and attempted to enter the Archive memory. Ahsoka sat up straighter in surprise as the terminal failed to turn on. Narrowing her eyes at the computer, she tried again, to no avail. The young Padawan stood up to find Madam Jocasta Nu and report this. It was extremely unlikely and strange that a Jedi Library terminal would fail to work for any reason, especially when all of the others were perfectly functional, Ahsoka noticed as she cast a wary eye about.

She spotted the tan-robed elderly Jedi and quietly treaded over to her. Even though Skyguy had taught her everything he knew about mechanics, Ahsoka didn't think that the stern Madam Nu would be all that pleased with her if she turned the Chief Librarian's beloved Archives into a mechanic's workbench and started tinkering with the terminals.

"Madam Nu," Ahsoka said quietly. She knew from experience how angry the frail woman could turn at a raised voice in the Archives.

"Yes, dear," Madam Jocasta turned around from where she had been working among the shelves to face the young Togruta with a kindly smile on her face.

"I seem to be having a problem with one of the databank terminals. It won't seem to start up," Ahsoka said, a bit a worry in her voice. Something wasn't entirely right here. She could feel it through the Force, barely, but it was still there.

"How strange," the librarian's brow wrinkled into a look of concern. "Which terminal seems to be giving you trouble, dear?"

Ahsoka led Madam Jocasta over the middle terminal. "It's this one," she said, pointing to said misbehaving computer.

"Let's see what I can do." Madam Nu sat down at the chair in front of the terminal. A look of consternation crossed her face as she started pressing buttons and switches.

As time passed Ahsoka began to lose interest and let her eyes wander around the multi-leveled Jedi Archives. She saw the door to holocron vault, as steely and impenetrable as ever. Well, perhaps not so impenetrable, that sleemo Cad Bane had managed to get past after all. The ceiling stretched high above her head and the slightly dimmed light streamed in through the windows. Multiple Jedi wandered around the ancient library, searching for this or that, researching for field missions or just reading texts. Ahsoka scanned the Jedi surrounding her for her friend Barriss. Her mouth dropped into a frown when she realized that her Mirialan friend was not among them. Where was Barriss? There had been no sign of her all day.

"Here we are," said Madam Jocasta, slightly triumphant. "Oh. How strange."

Ahsoka focused her attention once more on the terminal screen. Madam Nu had managed to get it started up. "What is it?"

"It seems that all memory and history of searches have been erased from this specific terminal," the elder Jedi replied incredulously. She regally rose from her seat and turned to leave. "How very strange. Rest assured, I will look into this."

Ahsoka smoothly slid into the seat that Jocasta had just vacated. She paused as a ripple in the Force caught her attention. Burrowing deeper, she realized that there was a slight air of Dark Side here. The young Padawan almost lost her meditative trance at the thought. The Dark Side? In the Jedi Temple? But the Force did not lie. The feeling was deeply buried, hidden, but still there. Just as she was about to delve deeper into the feeling, her comlink began to blink. Ahsoka sighed and fell out of her meditation to answer the incoming transmission.

"Snips, where are you? I'm at docking bay 8, and it's time to get on the transport to the _Resolute_ now," said her Master, mildly irritated and amused at the same time with her absence.

Ahsoka sighed. "I'll be on my way soon, Master," she replied in a semi-dreary tone of voice. But a spark came into her voice as she continued. "Hey, but you're one to talk Skyguy. You kept the Jedi Council waiting just this morning because you were off doing- what _were_ you doing anyways?" Ahsoka asked, raising a white-marked eyebrow and smirking.

"Ah, ah, ah, Snips," Anakin teasingly scolded, waving his hand at her, and raising his eyebrows as well. "Holding up the Council isn't _nearly_ as bad as holding up the mission. Besides, I'm the Master, you're the Padawan. There are certain privileges that come with rank."

"Whatever you say, _Skyguy_," Ahsoka replied, her downcast mood being slowing dispelled by her conversation with her Master. She noticed that he had avoided her question about his earlier whereabouts, but decided not to press.

"Just hurry it up, Snips," her Master said in mock exasperation. His image fizzled out and faded. Ahsoka clipped her comlink back to her belt and exited the Jedi Archives.

The long walk through the corridors of the Jedi Temple to the hangar was uneventful, and Ahsoka was left with only her thoughts for the duration of the walk. Something wasn't right, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what, and it frustrated her to no end.

When she at last arrived, Skyguy and Rex were waiting for her outside the shuttle. Her Master had his arms crossed and was openly smirking, but Rex's expression was carefully neutral. However, she thought she sensed the Captain's amusement slightly leaking into the Force. As she neared the transport shuttle that would take them to the _Resolute_, orbiting above Coruscant, Rex disappeared up the ramp to join Artoo on the ship and finish final preparations for departure.

"Well, that took you long enough," Anakin said smiling.

"Uh-huh, Master," Ahsoka replied with an equally large grin. However, her cheerful expression turned into a somber one as she continued. "Have you seen Barriss around? I haven't been able to find her anywhere, and I've been looking all day." Ahsoka bit her lip and briefly scanned the hangar. "I'd been hoping that she'd turn up in time to see us off."

Anakin's expression softened as well. "No, I haven't seen her. I saw Master Unduli earlier today in the corridors, but she was alone."

Ahsoka's face fell. She'd really been hoping that she'd get to see Barriss during her brief stay at the Temple.

"Don't worry," her Master said gently. "I'm sure that she's just somewhere else. The Jedi Temple's a big place, and it would have been easy to miss her."

Ahsoka's face shifted into a smirk. "I'm not a youngling, you know. I know that the Temple is 'big.' There's no need to treat me as if I'm about to get lost."

Noticing Ahsoka's change in mood, Anakin smiled. "Of course not, Snips," the Knight said in a fake patronizing tone, placing a gloved hand on her shoulder.

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes at him and strode onto the ramp without a backward glance at her childish Master. Anakin smiled and followed after her. As soon as Master and apprentice were settled in, the shuttle took off for the _Resolute_, orbiting just outside the planetary atmosphere, leaving the tremors, suspicions, and bad feelings on the surface of Coruscant behind them. Well, supposedly.

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**A/N: Hello, once more. Well, here's the update as promised. Woohoo! Yeah, that's four tests out of the way, and I did AWESOME, if I do say so myself. Yeah, it feels great. So, I hope you liked this chapter, there's a bit more plot in it than the last one. We're reading Romeo and Juliet in English class, and after several class discussions digging way too deep and over-analyzing everything, I'm chalk full of subtle and not-so-subtle symbolism, so this chapter is packed with it if you care to analyze. I firmly believe that teachers force us to see symbolism where there is none. Maybe the writer actually _wasn't_ intending there to be several secret buried meanings in every single line. I know that there is a lot of symbolism in Shakespeare, but really. Enough with my rambling, on to my reviewers, as of this chapter:**

**Christina - Thanks for taking the time to review. I'm glad you liked Wylhen. We may not be seeing too much of him, but he'll serve his purpose. :)**

**elle baybee - Thanks for taking the time to review. I hope you're enjoying the story. :)**

**Cnwriter - Glad you're liking the story so far! And thanks for the compliment, I do try to make sure that my characters are believable. I especially pride myself on my writing of Ahsoka. She's so much fun to write! I enjoy her relationship with Anakin, it's awesome. Glad to know you like Wylhen, I'm a bit tentative about OCs. Thanks for the review! :)**

**Ben Rachlin - A special thanks to you. You're the reason I got this chapter up so soon into the weekend. When I got your review, I had a bit of free time, but wasn't planning on really doing anything with it. You got me to get up off my butt and type the first draft of this up. I'm happy to know you like the witty banter between characters, and I hope this chapter had enough of the direction of the plot for you. I'm intentionally writing this semi-vaguely, I want the plot to stay somewhat of a surprise for a time, but people will probably guess what's going on. However, I don't intend on having chapters that have no plot in them and serve no purpose. That's just not how I roll. Thanks for the review and the compliment! :)**

**Evil Tree - Thanks for appreciating the little things, I appreciate that. :) Glad you thought Wylhen was interesting. He won't have too terribly large of a role, but a role he will have. I have plans for him *cue evil laughter.* Thanks for pointing out the spelling mistake. I try my best to proofread, but if I miss something, tell me, and I'll go back and change it. "Should" has now been changed to "shoulder." Thanks for the support. I'll make sure to read your stories when I get the time. Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**Your reviews make my day happy! If people keep reviewing, I'll make sure that this story isn't neglected as track season starts and the Science Olympiad competition kicks it up a notch. Not that I would neglect it anyway, but reviews give me motivation! Let me know what you think of the story and tell me any advice you have. I really do appreciate it, and I do have anonymous reviews enabled, so tell me what you think even if you don't have an account. I do my best to get the info in this story accurate to the Star Wars universe, but let me know if you catch anything that doesn't belong there. I'm relying on Wookieepedia and my memory here. We'll be seeing the planet Ghuians in upcoming chapters, a planet of my own creation. A round of applause for anyone who can catch the not-entirely-subtle symbolism in the planet's name! This chapter was a bit longer than my last, and in each chapter, I think I'll be aiming for around 2,000 words, not including the author's note. I think that's a pretty decent length. By the way, I just had to use Obi-Wan's "wild bantha chase" line. Hope you liked it! I'm eagerly awaiting tonight's Clone Wars episode. This Mortis trilogy looks good. And for anyone who follows the NFL, let's go, Steelers!**

**~JediRunnerGirl  
**


	4. Transit

Better Left Hidden

Chapter 3: Transit

* * *

The shuttle gently glided into the main hangar of the _Resolute_. The ramp lowered and the four passengers strode out.

"Admiral Yularen, a pleasure to see you," Anakin said as he walked past the uniform-clad, dark-haired man.

"General Skywalker, I assure you, the pleasure is all mine," the admiral said formally, falling into a brisk walk besides the ever-reckless Jedi Knight. Although they didn't always see eye to eye on certain matters, Yularen held a healthy amount of respect for his Jedi General. "We will depart for Ghuians as soon as we reach the bridge."

Ahsoka and Rex fell into step shortly behind the two now-silent men as they strode through the gray durasteel hallways of the _Venator_-class Star Destroyer. The clone captain branched off at an intersection soon thereafter, making his way to the barracks to meet back up with his brothers no doubt. This left the young Padawan trailing the two elder men in a dreamlike state, glancing at the dull and drab walls without truly seeing them.

What was it that had her agitated so? Every time that she thought that she had a hold of it, it slipped away. It was like a word on the tip of your tongue, infuriatingly close, yet ever elusive. Ahsoka crossed her arms and glared at the area just in front of her boots. Why couldn't she place this feeling? It was like a shroud had eclipsed her vision, both physically and in the Force. A fog, shimmering just in front of her, opaque and impossible to see through, obstructing her view, holding this feeling just out of her reach. What made it all the worse was that she was certain it was important. She just knew it was! Without her Master's amicable teasing and conversation, the Togruta was left to her thoughts, biting her lower lip in frustration.

She barely noticed when the doors to the bridge swooshed open and she stepped inside. Ahsoka nearly bumped into the back of her Master, and she would have if not the stern voice of Admiral Yularen.

"Engage hyperdrive, enter hyperspace."

Ahsoka looked up startled, with wide eyes, just in time to see the blur of blue hyperspace fill up the viewport.

"Now General, if you'll follow me, I have a diagram of the Separatist base we will be infiltrating upon arrival," Admiral Yularen said as he briskly walked over to the holoprojector near the doors of the bridge. With the swift jab of a button on the control panel, a holographic image sprung to life, slowly revolving in the air over the projector.

Ahsoka stood next to Anakin, intently staring at the base, no fortress rather, that they would soon be inside. "That sure is one big building," Ahsoka stated in awe.

"Yes, our information indicates that it was built with security as the number one priority, not inconspicuousness," the admiral said, turning to face Anakin.

"Well, why would they have a need for inconspicuousness?" her Master asked thoughtfully, his gloved hand on his chin, eyes narrowed in thought. "There's no civilization around for hundreds of klicks according to the diagram."

"You are right, General. The planet is divided into two sections, the Brightside and the Darkside," Admiral Yularen explained as he changed the projection to the larger view of the planet. He pointed to each area as he mentioned it. "Ghuians is in a tidally locked orbit with the system's star. Half the planet is basked in eternal day, the Brightside, and the other half is engulfed in perpetual night, the Darkside. The Brightside is predominantly plains and swamps with small arid deserts scattered throughout. The Darkside is very rocky and has several mountain ranges crisscrossing and intertwining. Few species live on the Darkside, and none of them humanoid or capable of forming civilization. The base is located at the intersection of two of the larger mountain ranges, the Domie and the Zanarepse."

"Which means that getting in will pretty hard if it means climbing over crags," Ahsoka stated, glancing up at her Master with a bit of concern in her cerulean blue eyes.

"The Commander makes a very valid point," Yularen stated stiffly. His eyes hardened "Skywalker, _do_ you have a plan for infiltration of this base."

"Eh," Anakin said, waving his hand in the air and looking away. "I'm getting there."

Ahsoka narrowed her eyes. "Master, I don't think this mission is a good time to go in without a plan."

"Easy Snips, maybe you _have_ been spending too much time around Obi-Wan." Anakin chuckled. When he noticed that Ahsoka's expression did not soften at all, he abruptly cut off. Ahsoka's Master stooped down slightly to her level and placed a hand on the young Togruta's shoulder. He softened his voice and spoke in a more serious tone. "Don't worry, Ahsoka, I have no intention of going into this one without a plan. If this weapon is as dangerous as the Council made it seem, it is imperative that we put a stop to the Separatists' plans." The sooner they brought an end to that Separatist scum, the sooner he could return to Padme and live a normal life with his wife. Well, as normal a life as a married Jedi and Senator couple could have. He was determined, and nothing could stop him from ending the war and returning to his wife. Nothing.

Ahsoka finally smiled. "Well, I sure hope so, Skyguy. I won't be able to get you out of _every_ mess that you get yourself into." She shrugged off his hand and sauntered to the other side of the holoprojector.

Admiral Yularen glanced between the two Jedi, slightly incredulous, but by this time well used to their strange antics. "Well, if you two are done now, I shall leave you to study the diagrams on your own and formulate a plan. Contact me if you require assistance." The admiral marched away to supervise the clones at various station throughout the bridge, his hands clasped firmly behind his back.

* * *

Several standard hours and arguments later, Ahsoka and her Master had come up with what they believed to be a semi-feasible plan.

"Alright, Snips. That seems to be about it," Anakin said, glancing at Ahsoka pointedly.

"Don't worry, Skyguy," Ahsoka said, smirking. "I actually like this plan. It's _way_ better than the last one you suggested."

Anakin crossed his arms and glared at his Padawan. "Look, I still don't see how it was that-"

"You suggested jumping out of a gunship onto the roof of the facility!" Ahsoka cried, throwing her arms in the air. She leaned over and slapped her hands on the holoprojector, raising a white eye marking at her Master. "Need I remind you that the wind would be more than strong enough to blow our strike team off of our course? And the base is in the _mountains_? Meaning sharp, pointy objects _everywhere_! Not to mention the fact that this is a stealth mission. Once the Separatists in the compound are alerted to our presence-"

"Okay, I get it. Sheesh, you didn't have to get so worked up, Snips. I got it the first time," Anakin said, head turned away from her and holding his hands up as if to stop a tidal wave.

"Then why did you bring it up again?" Ahsoka asked incredulously, her head-tails twitching.

The Jedi Knight smirked. "Because someone needed to get out their frustrations and cool down." The smile fell from Anakin's face, and he walked over to stand next to Ahsoka who had stormed away from him. "Now, Snips, tell me what it is that has you so high-strung."

The change in the young Togruta was drastic, like a balloon that someone had poked a gaping hole in. All of her anger and frustration rushed out of her, leaving a subdued and very downcast Padawan. She glanced down at the floor and clasped her hands together.

"Snips, is it because Barriss didn't show up to see us off?" her Master asked, concerned.

"To be honest, Skyguy, I really don't know what it is. I just know that something is wrong." Ahsoka turned her head farther away from Anakin and bit her lip. "Very wrong. And I have no idea what it is."

Anakin sighed, hoping that his young Padawan wasn't going through what he had gone through when he had had dreams of losing his mother. "Everything will be fine, Ahsoka," Anakin said, placing his hands on her shoulders and turning her to face him. "I know it's hard to be feeling how you do." When Ahsoka still wouldn't meet his eyes, Anakin put a hand on her chin and tilted her head up to look at him. He calmly met her eyes. "But you can't let your feelings rule you. Put it aside for now, and I'll help you figure this out once the mission is done."

"I know, Master," Ahsoka said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Okay, Snips," Anakin said with a smile. He suddenly brightened and straightened up, a wide grin on his face. "I know just what you need. We still have some time before we reach Ghuians. What do you say to a sparring match?"

One side of Ahsoka's mouth quirked up and she crossed her arms. "Only if you're up for getting your butt kicked, Skyguy."

"Oh, we'll see about that, Snips." Anakin smiled, happy to see that his Padawan was happy.

The two Jedi departed the bridge and walked through the corridors of the _Resolute_ in amicable silence, nodding a greeting to those they passed. Soon enough, they arrived at the doors that led into the sparring chamber. They entered the empty, spacious room and set their lightsabers to their lowest setting, Ahsoka opting to use only her main green saber instead of both.

"Ready, Skyguy?" Ahsoka asked as she walked to the center of the room.

"I think I should be asking you that, Snips," Anakin said with a smirk.

Master and Padawan slowly circled each other, blue and green blades humming, waiting for the first strike.

Anakin abruptly lunged at Ahsoka, her green blade quickly raised to block the strike. She pulled her saber away from her Master's and swiftly tucked and rolled under his blade, springing to her feet behind him. Her lightsaber darted at his back, but he spun around fast enough to block it. Their lightsabers clashed as each pushed against the other.

"Nice, Snips," Anakin said as he applied further force to his saber. "I'm impressed. Of course, it would be better if you would actually hold your lightsaber the _right_ way, but I guess it's fine."

Ahsoka grunted and launched herself into a flip, jumping over and behind her Master. He turned and their blades locked again.

"I think you're getting old, Skyguy," Ahsoka taunted. "Looks like someone's slowing up."

"Hey, now you watch it, Snips. If anyone's getting old, it's Obi-Wan. I'm only twenty-one," Anakin said, indignant.

"_Only_ twenty-one?" Ahsoka questioned raising an eye marking at her Master.

"Snips!" Anakin cautioned.

The two moved steadily backward with Anakin leading. Their sabers clashed and spun as they worked their way to the far side of the room, Ahsoka switching levels and utilizing her agility, alternating strikes high and low to try to find an opening in her Masters attacks. Their fight ended when Anakin brought his saber down hard on Ahsoka's, knocking it out of her hands. Anakin deactivated his saber as Ahsoka used the Force to retrieve hers, readjusted its setting, and clipped it into its place on her belt.

"I'll beat you one of these days, Master," Ahsoka remarked as they walked toward the doors, side by side.

"I'm sure you will, Snips," Anakin said as he placed a hand on the young Togruta's shoulder. "I'm sure you will."

As the two exited the sparring room, they heard Admiral Yularen's voice blaring throughout the halls of the _Resolute_. "Strike team, report to main hangar for mission briefing. ETA to Ghuians, one standard hour."

"Looks like it's go time, Snips," Anakin said, glancing at his Padawan.

Ahsoka smiled. "Ready if you are, Skyguy."

* * *

**A/N: Well, here it is. Sorry, for the wait. I have no excuse other than life and school decided to hit me. Hard. Well, better late than never I suppose. Again, my apologies. I hope this chapter made up for it. For those of you who are getting impatient with the story, next chapter is the arrival at Ghuians, I promise you. You'll get more answers then, and I'm planning on adding a bit with another perspective, probably within the next couple chapters. I'm telling you, things are about to get interesting. So, this chapter was me trying my hand at writing a lightsaber sequence. Tell me what you thought of it. I hope you could kind of picture it and it wasn't just "she did this, then he did this, and she did this, and he did this." Okay, now on to my reviewers, as of this chapter:**

**Cnwriter: Thanks for taking the time to review. Yes, interesting indeed. I've never read Omen, but if you say so. Again, thanks! :)**

**Christina: Haha, interesting hypothesis, but no. Thanks for taking the time to review! :)**

**Fox Scarlen: Thanks! Having the characters in character (haha) is very important to me, so I'm glad you think they are. I did enjoy incorporating a bit of Ahsoka's musings into the story. I just think it'd be really amusing to see the thoughts going on about Anakin and Padme, even if Ahsoka doesn't necessarily know that it is Anakin and Padme. Glad you liked it. It'll probably become more clear how the prologue ties-in in the next few chapters or so. Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**Evil Tree: Yep! Glad you caught the weapon comment. I was beginning to worry that I was being too vague. Glad you liked the detail and plot. My mom keeps telling me that I can't be _too_ mysterious and that I need to start delivering on the story and plot instead of keeping building up, so I'm glad that her advice is helping me give a satisfying amount of plot. Glad you like the Barriss and Archives mysterious fun-ness. Haha, yeah, Ahsoka's thoughts on that particular subject are amusing to write. Thanks for reviewing! :)**

**Victoria: Thanks for reading and reviewing, even if you did give me some very harsh criticism in school on the subject on my story! I agree with Cindy! Harsh! But anyway, glad you liked it! :)**

**Just a Crazy-Man: Thanks... But really, thanks for taking the time to review! :)**

**Ben Rachlin: Thanks, and thanks for picking up on the mysterious weapon. Hm, interesting hypothesis on the subject of Barriss. I'm planning on (slightly) clarifying what's going on with Barris sometime in the next few chapters. Thanks for the compliment, and thanks for taking the time to review! :)**

**Thanks for the reviews people! Track becomes mandatory this week, so let the juggling begin! I'll really try to get you a new chapter quicker this time around, but I can't make any promises except that I'll try. Let me know what you thought of this chapter, if you caught any mistakes, or if you have any advice. Oh, and I tried using some symbolism in naming the mountain ranges, but Victoria told me that I was being too subtle, so if you catch it, great, if not, eh. Thanks for reading. Please, review! :)**

**~JediRunnerGirl  
**


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